Circuit breaker



"July 1 1924. 1,500,089

E. B. NOWOSIELSKI CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed April 29 1919 INVENTUR EON/7K05. NUNUSIELE/l BY W297 Patented July 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. NOWOSIELSKI, OE BIiOOMl IE-LD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TOSPLITDORF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CIRCUIT BREAKER;

Application filed April 29,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD B. NOWOSIEL- SKI,a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomfield, in the county ofEssex and 6 State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Circuit Breaker, of whichthe following is aspecification.

This invention relates to atype of circuit breaker'to be usedparticularly in connection with an ignition apparatus that is used on aninternal combustion engine. In the past few years the rotative speed ofsuch engines has been gradually increased until the problem of designinga circuit breaker for the ignition circuit has become a serious one.'lVhere a large number of cylinders have to be fired in rapid rotation,such as on an airplane engine of the 8', 12 or 16 cylinder type, thecircuit breaker has to act very rapidly if satisfactory results are tobe obtained.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a circuit breakerwhich will operate exceedingly fast and consequently deliver from theignition coil a maximum effect at the spark plugs of the enginecylinders.

Another object of my invention is to provide a circuit breaker which isvery sim le, easy and cheap to manufacture and one t iat requires verylittle attention in operation.

Other and further objects will be apparent to one skilled in theart'after a study of the attached specification taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein, Figure 1 is an end view of anignition generator showing my circuit breaker in operative positionthereon.

Figure 2 is a;view similar. to Figure 1 of the circuit breaker but withthe parts in open circuit position.

Figure 3 is a plan. view-of, the movable member of the circuitbreaker.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of one of th sections shown in Figure 3. 3Figure 5-is, anelevationof theothersection which cooperates with thesection shown in Figure '4.-

1 Figure 6v is a sectionalview of, the bearing carrying the. sections.shown in Figures 4 andj5. Figure 7 is a view of acam used for:- anirregular firing engine, that isone firing at irregular intervals.

Referring now to the details, whereinlike 1919. SeriaLNo. 293,433.

numbers refer to corresponding parts in the various views, 1 illustratesa magneto having a distributer block 2 adapted for firing an eightcylinder engine. A cam 3 carried on the driving shaft of the magneto isadapted for regular order of firing or every 90 degrees. Mounted on theend of'the ignition generator 1 is a cam holder 4 in which is set an oilwick 5 for lubricatingthe cam 3. Mounted on the holder 4 but insulatedtherefromis a contact block 6 carrying an adjustablecontact 7. A bearing8 having a hollow portion9 is carried on a stud suitably attached to theholder 4. The bearing 8 is adapted to carry a certain quantity oflubricant which works its way out of the hole 10. Bearing 8 is held onthe stud by a spring 11 fitting over the knob 12. The movable mem ber ofthe breaker is made up of two sections 13 and 14. The section 13 isshown in elevation in, Figure 5 and preferably consists of one metalpiece bent over in a manner clearly indicated in Figures 3 and 5, a contact 15 being carried near the extremity of the section 13. Section 14is preferably made up of asingle metal piece having arms or extensions16 that lie between the sides of the section 13 and extend over thebottom portion thereof. The opposite end of the section 14 carries abumper 17 which, in the form shown, is of the roller type but which maybe made up in any other suitable manner. Around the central part of thesection 14 is a spring 18 which in assembled position is indicated inFigure This spring l8-serves to normally hold the section 14 in theposition shown in Figure 1 and acts to make. this section follow veryrapidly the contour of the cam used whether it be of the type shown inFigure 1 or that shown in Figure 7. A resilient member, preferably inthe form of a spring 19, is carried by the holder 4 in such a positionthat it is in line with the contacts 15 and 7 when the section 13 isassembled as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In the operation of, my circuit breaker, it will be. noted that the twosections have certainindependent movements one from the other. Thespring. 19 serves to hold thecsection13, normally in such position that,the contacts? and 15 are securely closed thereby producing-a goodcontact and itwill be apparent that the tension of thisspring hold,-ingthe contacts closed is not conveyed under this condition to thesection 14 asin the usual practice which relieves the wear on the bumperas well as on the cam and therefore there is less work to be performedby the cam acting on the bumper and the sprlng 18 is made in such amanner as to give just sufticient action to the section 14 as will makeit rapidly follow the cam. It will be noted that the arms or extensions16 when the breaker points are closedare spaced away, as indicated at20, from the bottom of the section 13 so that the section 14 when it isoperated on by the earn 3 is started in movement before the section 13is moved and at the time the projecting arms'16 strike the section 13,section 14 has accelerated to its maximum velocity and in eiiect givesthe section 13 a hammer blow thereby separatingthecontacts very rapidly.After the engaging nose of the cam leaves the bumper 1,7 the spring 18,as above explained, causes the section 14 to follow the cam and theinitial start is given by the spring 19 assisting the spring The holder4 is so constructed at the point 21 that most of the flat portion of thesection 13 will engage the holder along the line 21 for the greater partofthe length of the section 13 thereby providing a stop for the section13 of large area which feature is advantageous. Since the spring 19' ispreferably placed at the extremity of the section 13 it has largeleverage thereon and therefore a relatively light spring maybe usedwhich gives an easier and quicker spring action than the springordinarih used in circuit breakers used for this work. A breakerconstructed in two sections, such as mine reduces the inertia of themoving parts and the contacts do not rebound when the breaker isoperated at high speeds and consequently a maximum spark results at theengine cylinders. V r r It will-be apparent that the circuit breaker maybe used in other arrangements and that the details of the various partsmay be varied without departing from the spirit of my. invention or thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is V 1. In a circuitbreaker, a stationary member carrying a contact, a movable membercarrying a cooperating contact,said movable member being in two sectionsarranged in tandem, one of saidsections carrying said cooperatingcontact and the other a bumper, means for normally holding said contactstogether, a cam for acting on said bumper to operate the sectioncarrying said bumper and operative means connecting the two sections sothat-the actuation of the one by saidcam causes the actuation of theother for. the purpose described. a V

2. Ina circuit breaker, a stationary member carrying a contact, amovable member carrying a cooperating contact, said movable tionedsection for engaging the first, section to transmit motion from the camthereto.

3. In a circuit breaker, a statlonary member carrying a contact, amovable member carr in a coo eratin contact said movable member being intwo sections arranged in tandem, each section having a certain movementindependent of the other, oneot said sections carrying said cooperatingcontact and the other a bumper, resilient means for normally holding thesection carrying the cooperating contact in such a position that saidcontacts are together, said second section having an extensionoverlapping the first sec;- tion but normally arcuately spaced away fromit, a cam for acting on the bumper to operate the section carryingit, tocause said extension to suddenly engage with thefirst section to opensaid contacts.

4. In a circuit breaker, a stationary member carrying a contact, amovable member carrying .a cooperating contact, saidmoyable member beingin two sections pivoted on a common center, one of said sectionscarrying said cooperating contact and the other a bumper, a cam foracting on said bumper to move the sections carrying it and operativemeans connecting the two sections so that the actuation of the one bysaid cam causes the actuation of the other for the purpose described. V

5. In a circuit breaker, a stationary member carrying a contact, amovable member carrying a cooperating contact, said movable member beingin two sections pivoted on a common center, one of said sectionscarrying said cooperating contact and having resilient means associatedtherewith to normally hold said contacts together, the other of saidsections carrying a bumperand having an extension overlapping the firstsection, resilient means for holding the second section normally in sucha position that the extension is arcuately spaced away from the firstsection and a cam for acting on the bumper to move its section and saidextension to cause rapid opening of said contacts. I f

6. In a high speed circuit breaker, a relatively stationary membercarrying a contact, I

carried by one section near its extremity and a resilient member actingon this section snbstantlally opposite said contact to man:

ually hold the contacts in closed position, the other of said sectionshaving an extension at one end and carrying a bumper at the other, aresilient member for normally holding the said section in such positionthat said extension is elevated above the first section and a cam foracting on the bumper whereby the said extension is caused to strike thefirst section a hammer blow to quickly open said contacts as described.

7 In a high speed circuit breaker, a relatively stationary membercarrying a contact, a movable member consisting of two sectionalportions capable of independent movements but pivoted on a common centerbearing, independent resilient means for actuating each section in agiven direction, a cam for operating one or" said sections in oppositionto one of said resilient means, a contact for cooperation with the firstmentioned contact but carried by the other of said sections andactuating means on the cam operated section for operating the contactcarrying section in opposition to the other of said resilient means forthe purpose described.

8. In a high speed circuit breaker, a relatively stationary membercarrying a contact, a movable member consisting of two sectionalportions capable of independent movements but pivoted on a common centerbearing, independent resilient means for actuating each section in agiven direction, a cam for operating one of said sections in oppositionto one of said resilient means, a contact for cooperation with the firstmentioned contact butcarried by the other of said sections saidresilient means for operating said contact carrying section beingdisposed in alignment with both said contacts while the resilient meansfor the cam operated section is supported on said common center bearingand actuating means on the cam operated section for operating thecontact carrying section in-opposition to the resilient means associatedtherewith.

9. In a high speed circuit breaker, a relatively stationary membercarrying a contact, a movable member consisting of two sectionalportions capable of independent movements, a rotating cam for operatingone of said sections, a spring for causing this section to follow thecontour of the cam in its rotation, a contact for cooperation with thefirst mentioned contact but carried by the other of said sections and aspiral spring other of said sections carrying a contact for cooperatingwith the stationary contact, a spring for holding said contacts normallyclosed and for returning said sections to closed position after beingacted on by the first section and a stop for the second sectionextending adjacent thereto for considerable of its length.

11. In a circuit breaker, a relatively stationary member carrying acontact, a compound movable member carrying a co-operating contact, saidcompound movable member being constructed in two parts, each capable ofmovement independent of the other, means acting on one of said parts tocause it to move the other of said parts to separate the contacts and aspring mounted in and acting in alignment with said contacts to bringthe part of the compound member to a position to close the contactstogether after they have been separated.

In witness whereof, I afiix my signature.

EDWARD B. NOIVOSIELSKI.

